Trucker slain in Tondo road rage incident

MANILA, Philippines — A truck driver was killed in an alleged case of road rage in Tondo, Manila on Thursday.

An Elf truck driven by Benjamin Bagtas, 47, nearly collided with a trailer truck driven by Marlon Ilas, 34, along C-3 Road in Navotas at around noon on Thursday, according to Bagtas’ helper, Bernardino Olesco Jr.

“The trailer truck cut us, damaging our side mirror. I fixed it and the trailer truck went straight ahead. My driver shouted at him saying, ‘What’s your problem?’ But I know he did not hear because his window was closed,” Olesco told reporters in Filipino yesterday.

The two drivers nearly collided again as they reached a portion of Mel Lopez Boulevard’s southbound lane near the Manila Police District (MPD)’s Smokey Mountain community precinct.

“When we reached North Harbor, the truck cut us again. I told my driver not to go after it and that I’ll just call traffic enforcers to block it,” Olesco said.

Bagtas pulled ahead of Ilas’ truck and stopped, with the victim hoping to talk with Ilas, according to Olesco.

Just as the victim got out of his truck, Ilas sideswiped and dragged Bagtas, Olesco said.

The incident was caught by Barangay 105’s closed-circuit television camera.

The MPD’s homicide unit reported that Bagtas was “sandwiched” between his own truck and Ilas’ truck before the latter swerved right and sped away.

Bagtas was declared dead at the Tondo Medical Center at 7:57 p.m. on Oct. 12 after sustaining an “open fracture on his left forearm and multiple abrasions in the chest and flank area.”

Ilas was later arrested and is in the custody of the MPD’s homicide section. He initially did not answer when asked about the incident, but eventually said that he regretted it.

However, The STAR learned Ilas claimed he did not see Bagtas because he was in a “blind spot” of the trailer truck.

Bagtas’ widow, Jiny Alba, 46, said it was impossible for her husband to have been in a blind spot.